Climbing Flagstaff With Slings
A boatswain chair and two slings are the only tools necessary to work on a flagpole. Take two slings made of at least ½-inch line, splice an eye in the end of each sling—the eye being about two inches in diameter; place the sling around the pole, drawing the end opposite from the eye through the eye; do likewise with the other sling; tie the boatswain chair to the top sling, allowing five inches from the rope of the boatswain chair to the eye of the sling; tie a loop in the end of the lower sling—tying a bow-line knot. This is called a stirrup. Leave the same distance from eye to knot as from the chair to the knot. Get into the boatswain chair.
The first thing to do is to see that the loop around the pole is as tight as it will go. Then place your foot in the stirrup, take hold of the pole to steady yourself, raise up in the stirrup, and with the right hand push the sling holding the chair up, again making the sling tight to the pole. Sit down in the chair, reach down and pull the stirrup sling up until you can get your foot in. Repeat these movements and you will see how simple it is to climb without exerting yourself.
At every movement going up and coming down make sure that the sling that holds the chair is secure and thereby prevent it from slipping down. Should it be loose and slip down and your foot in the stirrup, the result would undoubtedly be that you would be dangling in the air head down. Avoid all of this by taking every precaution.
TOP OF POLES
At any time you are working on a flagpole and the work consists of replacing a truck, ball or spindle, the only thing to do is to make sure of the pole being solid enough for a little swaying. If so, take a sling, lash yourself to the pole under the arms as a back brace, then reach up and pull yourself up and stand in the chair. Avoid shaking the pole as much as you possibly can. Then draw up the saw.
Saw off about one foot of the top, take a brace and bit, drill the holes, chip off around the edges and set your new truck on. The spindle should be set about from 8 to 10 inches down in the pole, then wedge in with small sticks to make it solid.